Church Training Pathway

Session 1

Welcome! By the end of this training, you’ll have a clear plan for your church to reach people living with disabilities with the love of Christ. People with disabilities are all around us – in some ways, they are the largest minority group in the world. About 1 in 5 people in the United States have a disability. And worldwide, there are over 1.3 billion people with a disability.

Your church is not called to reach all 1.3 billion of these people. Your job is to faithfully make disciples right where God has you. So, take a look at your congregation… Take a look at your neighborhood… How many of them live with disabilities? How many of them know Christ? How many of them have a church home? This course will help your church take steps to welcome people with disabilities into your fellowship. Not to just welcome them into the building, but into the body of Christ itself; to see them use their God-given gifts for the sake of the mission of the church. Its not just people with disabilities who need the church. The church needs people with disabilities.

So, let’s get started! In this session, we’ll begin to discover how your church, in all it’s uniqueness, can effectively make disciples of people living with disability.

The route towards establishing a ministry that includes people living with disability at your church will reveal itself at the intersection of four things:

1. God’s Heart for People with Disabilities
2. The Mission of Your Church
3. The People with Disabilities Who Are in Your Congregation and Community
4. Barriers that Exist in Your Church (Assessment of Attitudes and Physical Accessibility) Download your free Church Training Pathway E-Workbook for important discussion questions and material for each session.

Session 2

Assessment

In session 2, we’re going to develop a biblical vision for what a truly disability friendly church looks like.

Now that you have clarity on where your church currently is in relation to people with disabilities, you’ll be able to start taking steps from where you are to where you want to go.

Before we begin, take some time to review your findings from the surveys in session. As you’re discussing the questions, look for patterns – types of disabilities, age, length of attendance at your church, income levels, supports needed, and other family dynamics.

Session 3

In session 3, we will explore models for integrating people with disabilities into the ministry of your church. The big idea to remember moving forward isn’t just a program; it is anything that enables a person with a disability to grow in Christ.

We will also define a ministry structure for sustaining ministry that includes the disabled, and the types of supports that a family living with disability might need.

 

Disability Ministry Models and Case Studies: Put the Disability Ministry Models to work by applying the principles to the case studies below. Frame your responses in terms of the three disability ministry models and removing physical and social barriers. Imagine these taking place in your church. Insert yourselves into the story. And try to avoid looking to one person in the room for “the answers.” If there is a pastor or disability ministry lead going through this training, avoid simply defaulting to them. Make this a discussion and work the process together.

As you read the following case studies, consider these questions:

What are some potential barriers?

What would you do if these scenarios played out at your church?

Case Study 1
 

A family comes to your church for the first time. The parents are Christians but haven’t been to church since their son was an infant because of behavioral problems that developed when he became a toddler. They’ve been podcasting sermons for a while and are anxious about bringing their son to Sunday School. The first week, he has a meltdown and hits another student. They tearfully apologize, and leave saying, "Thank you so much for trying. I’m sorry that happened… I just don’t think this is going to work."

Case Study 2
 

A group home in your area starts bringing a group of their residents to church unannounced. One middle-aged woman really enjoys church. She participates by laughing loud and long whenever a joke is told, and by asking her questions loudly and as soon as she has them. Other members of the church begin to complain. You are tasked with coming up with a solution.

Now that we have an understanding of the social and physical barriers that inhibit access for people living with disability, we need to apply it to the real world, and the real people in our community. While there is no universal experience when it comes to disability (and the barriers they encounter as a result), there is some common overlap. Each person’s story is unique, but as we are reminded in Ecclesiastes, :There is nothing new under the sun."

As you gain an understanding of families living with disability in general, you’ll be better equipped to serve the particular families in your church. Loving the families being served requires knowing them. The insights in the next video will lay a foundation for getting to know the families living with disability in your church.

Leadership Structure
 

The success of your ministry that includes people living with disability depends largely on creating a solid structure. There is a reason the pyramids are still standing after thousands of years, and a house of cards can’t withstand a sneeze.

The leadership structure includes three distinct liaison roles with church leadership, volunteers, and families. At the start, all three roles may be filled by one person, or two roles filled by one person, and one role filled by ten! The beauty of this model is its flexibility and scalability. Watch the next video on structuring your ministry.